Number
of Bulk or Liquid Barrels Produced and Average SG in each division of the
UK

Year

England & Wales

Average SG

Scotland

Average SG

Ireland

Average SG

United Kingdom

Average SG

1900

32,146,769

-

2,289,048

-

2,669,225

-

37,105,042

1054.93

1905

30,594,189

1052.54

2,021,374

1049.60

2,799,960

1063.49

35,415,523

1053.23

1910

29,284,045

1052.30

1,956,659

1048.48

3,059,210

1064.78

34,299,914

1053.20

1914

31,737,384

1051.69

2,288,981

1047.67

3,532,902

1065.93

37,558,767

1052.80

1915

29,310,783

1051.16

2,042,477

1046.85

3,412,520

1065.93

34,765,780

1052.35

1916

26,914,428

1050.49

1,917,148

1046.45

3,279,032

1066.43

32,110,608

1051.88

1917

25,497,825

1047.01

1,816,003

1043.16

2,850,170

1065.69

30,163,998

1048.54

1918

16,340,250

1038.25

1,141,114

1036.74

1,603,679

1057.89

19,085,043

1039.81

1919

20,133,048

1029.35

1,325,439

1029.77

1,806,096

1044.43

23,264,533

1030.55

1920

29,891,845

1038.57

2,186,604

1038.83

2,969,498

1048.35

35,047,947

1039.41

1921

28,927,178

1041.72

2,096,080

1042.31

3,481,312

1050.18

34,504,570

1042.61

1922

25,468,663

1042.21

1,770,175

1041.68

2,939,893

1049.44

30,178,731

1042.88

1923a

22,334,328

1042.82

1,598,339

1041.36

15,984

1037.50

23,948,651

1042.72

1924a

23,609,228

1043.18

1,800,687

1041.27

15,102

1037.69

25,425,017

1043.04

1925a

24,827,074

1043.24

1,895,535

1041.53

12,216

1038.40

26,734,825

1043.12

1926a

24,871,187

1043.34

1,884,933

1041.87

9,490

1036.91

26,765,610

1043.23

1927a

23,418,640

1043.35

1,673,576

1042.30

8,245

1038.11

25,100,461

1043.28

a Figures for Ireland exclude the Free State.

Authority: Report of Commissioners of Customs and Excise

The production statistics are in barrels, SG refers to the original
specific gravity of the beer.

1 barrel = 163.656 litres.

Number
of Barrels of Beer Brewed 1857-1945

Year ended
March 3I.

England& Wales

Scotland.

Ireland.

United Kingdom.

1857

16,470,221

588,552

926,000

17,984,773

1860

18,316,062

810,727

1,213:307

20,340,096

1865

20,276,623

1,207,595

1,242,671

22,546,889

Sept. 30,

1871

23,587,798

1,227,308

1,616,654

26,431,760

1875

27,809,523

1,179,244

2,025,614

31,014,381

1880

27,533,670

1,142,710

2,066,269

30,742,649

1881

24,395,418

1,036,951

1,919,992

27,352,361

March 31,

1882

24,738,113

1,088,000

2,044,413

27,870,526

1883

23,874,632

1,122,360

2,143,899

27,140,891

1884

24,419,284

1,216,319

2,114,488

27,750,091

1885

24,519,173

1,237,323

2,229,997

27,986,493

1890

26,740,773

1,666,897

2,460,645

30,808,315

1895

27,248,804

1,758,879

2,670,803

31,678,486

1900

31,912,985

2,136,992

3 041,009

37,090,986

1905

29,885,208

1,813,109

3,205,970

34,404,287

1910

27,660,606

1,718,705

3,567,941

32,947,252

1913

28,853,000

1,837,000

4,115,000

34,805,291

1914

29,657,000

1,977,000

4,228,000

36,057,913

1915

27,268,000

1,739,000

4,091,000

33,099,411

1916

24,713,000

1,618,000

8,961,000

30,292,977

1918

11,365,875

762,238

1,688,060

13,816,173

1919

10,748,609

717,399

1,459,079

12,925,087

1920

20,961,055

1,543,269

2,610,872

25,115,196

1921

21,940,671

1,611,404

3,177,808

26,729,883

1922

19,533,006

1,339,542

2,641,226

23,613,774

1923a

17,353,910

1,199,462

10,840

18,564,212

1924a

18,530,952

1,350,296

10,347

19,890,033

1925a

19,515,269

1,430,604

8,524

20,954,392

1926a

19,593,408

1,434,788

6,223

21,034,419

1927a

18,452,978

1,286,509

5,712

19,745,199

1939

24,187,883

1945

31,031,814

a Figures for Great Britain and N. Ireland only.

For definition of Standard Barrel, see below.

Calculated, up to 1881, according to the Quantities of Malt and Sugar used;
afterwards, up to 1901, and again from 1914 onwards, according to the Number
of Standard Barrels Charged with Beer Duty, but from 1902 to 1913 the Number
upon which duty was paid during the year.

Authority.-Reports of Commissioners of Inland Revenue and of Customs
and Excise, and Trade and Navigation.

The "Standard Barrel"
and the "Bulk Barrel"

There is much misunderstanding outside the Brewing Trade
as to what the Standard Barrel of Beer really is, and therefore the following
explanation may be found useful.

The Standard Barrel may be described as an imaginary or hypothetical
unit of measurement adopted mainly for the purpose of levying the Beer Duty.
It is taken to be a barrel of 36 gallons of beer of an original gravity
before fermentation of 1055 degrees, and, though in practice exactly such
a barrel of beer is seldom met with, it is in theory the barrel on which
the brewer pays the duty of £5 and makes nearly all his calculations.
It is as often spoken of as the barrel of 55º, omitting the 10 preceding,
and as such is more easily understood by the non-technical man.

A barrel of 27.5º, half standard, is accordingly charged £2 10s.
duty. Similarly, a barrel of 72.5º, half as strong again as standard,
is accordingly charged £7 10s. duty. Each degree of gravity represents
at the present rate of duty slightly more than 1s. 9 3/4d., and 55º
at that rate make up the charge of £5 per standard barrel.

Any given barrel of beer which is not exactly the standard barrel as defined
above is known as the bulk barrel. As the gravity or strength of the bulk
barrel rises above or falls below the standard of 55º, so the charge
for duty increases or diminishes by 1s. 9.81d. per degree.

The price of beers is governed mainly by the gravity or strength at which
they are supplied by the brewer, and the prices and ranges of gravity fixed
by the Food Controller in 1920 (see p. 101) more or less apply to-day, less
1d. a pint as the result of the Rebate of Duty provided for in the Finance
Act 1923 (see p. 90). This Rebate amounts to 20s. per bulk barrel as brewed
and delivered from the brewery.

* Of these totals 14,479, 2,663, 2,502, and 2,357 respectively
were retail publican or beerhouse brewers.

NOTE.-
ln 1870, in addition to the above, there were 3,944 "beginners 12s. 6d."
; in 1875, 3,064 ; in 1879, 2,425 ; and in 1880, 2,183.

In the figures for the years 1881 to 1893 inclusive, a large number of transfers
is included the actual number of licences issued in these years being as
follows :-1881, 16,146 ; 1885, 13,800 ; 1890, 11,355 ; 1891, 10,659 ; 1892,
10,083 ; 1893, 9,664.

The following is a chronological statement of beer duty changes and restrictions
since 1914.--

Year ended Sept. 30 1914 : Output 36,165,000 standard barrels, which
may be described as the pre-war rate. Nov. IS 1914 : Duty raised from 7s.
9d. to 23s. per standard barrel.

Year ended March 31 1916 : Output 30,292,977 standard barrels.

April 1 1916: Duty raised to 24s.

Year ended March 31 1917 : Output 26,626,039 standard barrels, the
reduction being due to the Output if Beer (Restriction) Act, 1916.

April 1 1917: Output for quarter reduced by Food Controller to rate
of 11,470,000 standard barrels a year, including beer for the Navy and Army.
Duty raised to 25s. per barrel.

July 1 1917: Statutory output for quarter increased by 33 1/3 per
cent. to rate of 15,043,000 standard barrels, half the beer to be brewed
at a gravity not exceeding 1036º, 20 per cent. offered to all brewers
on those terms, the balance of 13 1/2 per cent. being brewed under special
licence for consumption in munition areas.

Oct. 1 1917: Rate and conditions of previous quarter continued but
gravity for one-half of the output raised to 1042º. Prices also fixed
at 4d. per pint under 1036º, 5d. per pint under 1042º.

Jan. 1 1918: Rate and conditions of previous quarter again continued.

April 1 1918: Output for quarter reduced to rate of 11,470,000 standard
barrels. The extra 20 per cent. offer withdrawn and 33 1/3 per cent. for
munition areas reduced to 10.4 per cent., equal to 1,120,000 barrels, leaving
total output at rate of 12,590,000 a year. Conditions changed by provision
that average gravity of all beer brewed shall not exceed 1030º for
great Britain and 1045º for Ireland, and that no beer shall be brewed
below 1010º: and prices fixed at 4d. per pint below 1030º, and
5d. per pint for 1030º to 1034º. Food Controller imposed a special
charge of 25s. per standard barrel for a munition beer brewed under his
licence. April 23 1918: Duty increased to 50s.

Jan. 1 1919 : Statutory barrelage increased by 25 per cent., making
annual rate of total output 13,260,000 standard barrels. Gravities raised
2º both for Great Britain and Ireland.

Feb. 20 1919 : Food Controller stated that "it is being constantly
represented to us from Labour and other organisations that the shortage
of beer and spirits is a cause contributing to the unrest in the country.
I hope very shortly to be in a position to allow a considerably larger additional
output of beer, and of better quality, than that recently sanctioned."

April 1 1919 : Beer duty raised to 70s. Statutory barrelage increased
by 50 per cent., and gravity raised to 1040º in Great Britain. Special
charge of 25s. per barrel for munition beer abolished as from April 30 1919.

May 23 1919 : Statutory barrelage further increased by 45 per cent.,
bringing total output up to rate of 26,000,000 standard barrels a Year.
July 1 1919: All restriction on volume of output removed, and average permitted
gravity increased in Great Britain to 1044º, and in Ireland to 1051º.

Aug. 1 1919 : In lieu of proposed increase of beer duty to 80s. on
freedom of output being established, the gravities at which the different
priced beers might be sold retail were revised in a new Order by the Food
Controller. The range of gravities was raised 4º all round, beer under
1020' being fixed at the maximum price of 2d. per pint in a public-bar.

April 20 1920: Duty raised to 100s., which is practically 13 times
as great as the pre-war rate and represents an increase of 1,190%. Food
-Con troller's maximum retail prices raised by ld. per pint. See schedules
next page.

June 30 1921 Restriction as to Average Permitted Gravities ended.
Aug. 31 1921 All control of prices abolished. April 1 1923 Rebate of 20s.
per bulk barrel made from duty of £5 per standard barrel with arrangement
that the Trade should bear the balance of 4s. by reducing as from

April 17 the price of beer by 1d. per pint, equal to 24s. per bulk
barrel.

Where bottled beer is sold in a bottle containing less than an imperial
quart but containing a quantity not specified in Column 3 above, the maximum
price shall be a price at the rate applicable to bottled beer of a like
original gravity sold in a bottle containing the next greater quantity specified
in Column 3.

Where bottled beer is sold in a bottle containing more than one imperial
quart, the maximum price shall be a price at tile rate applicable to bottled
beer of a like original gravity sold in a bottle containing one imperial
quart.

In either case, in estimating the maximum price a broken halfpenny shall
he reckoned as a halfpenny.

As regards the Import of Foreign Beers, although the quantity
had increased before the War, it only increased the per capita consumption
in 1913 from 27.51 gals. (British beer) to 27.56 gals. (British and imported).

In 1926-27 all but about 20,000 barrels were imported from the Irish Free
State.